Reflections from a new Secular Franciscan

“Jesus Defines the Word ‘IS’ AT His Last ‘Feast’!” – Mark 14:12-16, 22-26†

The Solemnity of the Most Holy
Body and Blood of Christ

Today’s Content:

· Dan’s Deliberations, Discoveries, & Declarations

· Today in Catholic History

· Quote of the Day

· Today’s Gospel Reading

· Gospel Reflection

· Reflection Prayer

· Catholic Apologetics

· A Franciscan’s Saint of the Day

· Reflection on part of the OFS Rule

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Dan’s Deliberations, Discoveries, & Declarations:

There will not be a Reflection Blog next week as I will be on an “ACTS Retreat” Weekend with Christ and my fellow Bothers in Christ from my home parish in Hazelwood, Missouri; along with a few great men from Chicago, Illinois who are trying to bring the ACTS Retreat format to their area. Please keep all of us in your prayers as I will be keeping you in my prayers.

I personally make two three-day retreats a year: one an ACTS format retreat and the other a Franciscan Regional Retreat. On top of this, I make several one-day personal or small group retreats throughout the year. I truly love spending time separated from this “materialistic” world, totally and completely tuned-in to God’s world instead. For me, it’s a little bit of heaven.

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Today, the second Sunday after Pentecost, we celebrate a second week of solemnities as well. We have now returned to “Ordinary Time” in the liturgical calendar of the Catholic Church. Today is the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ. At one time, this day was called Corpus Christi, the Latin words for “the Body of Christ.” In the most recent revision of our liturgical rites, the name for this day has been expanded to be a more complete reflection of our Eucharistic theology.

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Today in Catholic History:

† 1190 – Third Crusade: Frederick I Barbarossa drowns in the Sally River while leading an army to Jerusalem.
† 1538 – Catholic German monarchy signs League of Neurenberg
† 1539 – Council of Trent: Paul III sends out letters to his bishops, delaying the Council due to war and the difficulty bishops had had traveling to Venice.
† 1632 –Birth of Esprit Fléchier, French writer and bishop (d. 1710)
† 1637 – Birth of Jacques Marquette, French Jesuit missionary and explorer (d. 1675)
† 1688 – Birth of James III Edward, Old Pretender, recognized as King of Britain by Pope
† 2001 – Pope John Paul II canonizes Lebanon’s first female saint Saint Rafqa
† 2010 – Death of Metropolitan Basil Schott, Archbishop of the Byzantine Catholic Archeparchy of Pittsburgh (b. 1939)

Quote of the Day:

“I do not know how we can live a spiritual life that bears great fruit (including having our prayers answered) unless we are feeding on the life that God intended us to feed on. The Eucharist is essential for our life. It is food for the soul; it is food for life eternal.” ~ Sr. Ann Shields, “Pray and Never Lose Heart“, Servant Books

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Today’s reflection: Jesus shares His Last Supper with His disciples.

(NAB Mark 14:12-16, 22-26) 12 On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, when they sacrificed the Passover lamb, his disciples said to him, “Where do you want us to go and prepare for you to eat the Passover?”13 He sent two of his disciples and said to them, “Go into the city and a man will meet you, carrying a jar of water. Follow him.14 Wherever he enters, say to the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says, “Where is my guest room where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?”’15 Then he will show you a large upper room furnished and ready. Make the preparations for us there.”16 The disciples then went off, entered the city, and found it just as he had told them; and they prepared the Passover.22 While they were eating, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them, and said, “Take it; this is my body.”23 Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, and they all drank from it.24 He said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed for many.25 Amen, I say to you, I shall not drink again the fruit of the vine until the day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”26 Then, after singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

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Gospel Reflection:

Our reading today is the account of the “Last Supper” as found in Mark’s Gospel. It begins with the instructions Jesus gave to His disciples in order to prepare the Passover celebration approaching rapidly. Mark then goes on to give a brief, yet accurate, account of the “Last Supper”. However, our reading today omits the middle verses about Jesus’ predicting His betrayal by one of His disciples, we soon learn to be Judas Iscariot.

Today’s Gospel reading gives us the specific time period of the event:

“On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, when they sacrificed the Passover lamb …” (Mark 14:12).

The connection between these two events – – the festival of “Passover” and the “Feast of Unleavened Bread” – – are reflected in several books of the Old Testament (cf., Exodus 12:3–20, 34:18; Leviticus 23:4–8; Numbers 9:2–14, 28:16–17; and, Deuteronomy 16:1–8).

Mark’s Gospel describes Jesus’ “Last Supper”, celebrated with His disciples, as occurring during the Jewish feast of Passover. The Passover meal, still today, includes many ritually important elements, such as unleavened bread, lamb, and bitter herbs. Each food item recalls an aspect related to the Israelite Exodus event, with the instructions for the preparation of the meal carefully prescribed in Mosaic Law. It is a significant, central, and crucial obligation of the Jewish faithful to celebrate the Passover meal, even still today, giving thanks to God for His deliverance and protection.

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The “Passover” festival commemorated the Israelite’s redemption from slavery and their departure from Egypt by night while led by Moses. This festival began at sundown, after the Passover lamb was sacrificed in the temple in the afternoon of the “fourteenth day of the month of Nisan”**. FYI, Passover, as all Jewish religious holidays, begins at Sundown.

The Passover supper is on the same evening, and thus is associated with the eating of “unleavened bread”. The “Feast of the Unleavened Bread”, itself was continued through “Nisan 21” **. This particular Jewish “Feast” is a reminder of the hardships and haste placed upon the Israelites surrounding their “Exodus” departure.

Through both the dual “festival” and “feast”, praise and thanks to God for His magnificent goodness in the past are combined with a hope of their future salvation through His grace.

Bible Scholars have placed the exact date of Jesus’ “Last Supper” as “Nisan 14” **, a date on the Hebrew Calendar (still in use today).

** Nisan (or Nissan) is the first month of the ecclesiastical year and the seventh month (eighth, in leap year) of the civil year, on the Hebrew calendar. The name of the month is Babylonian. In the Torah it is called the month of the Aviv, referring to the month in which barley was ripe. Being a spring month of 30 days, Nisan usually falls on the Gregorian calendar between March and April.

The first verse of today’s reading, besides giving us a definitive date of Jesus’ Passover meals, opens with Jesus’ disciples asking for directions from Him:

“His [Jesus’] disciples said to Him, ‘Where do you want us to go and prepare for you to eat the Passover?’” (Mark 14:12)

I am certain Jesus’ response bewildered His much loved disciples and friends:

“Go into the city and a man will meet you, carrying a jar of water. Follow him.” (Mark 14:13)

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A “man carrying a jar of water” is a strange sort of oddity for the Jewish society of the first century. Only women carried jars at this time of history in Israel. Perhaps His words were a prearranged signal from Jesus to follows of His in the City of Jerusalem itself; a signal to get prepared for His arrival. So, in order to understand this point better, I went back to the original Greek version of the Bible to see the actual words used, with their word-to-word translations:

The Greek word actually used here, “anqrwpoV”, implies simply a person and not necessarily a male. I believe this verse, along with the next, gives a strong credence to a signal for a pre-arraigned meeting place needing to be readied:

“Wherever he enters, say to the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says, “Where is my guest room where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?”’” (Mark 14:13).

They did as they were told, and found exactly what Jesus said they would find. This unknown “water-carrying man” showed Jesus’ emissaries a “large upper room” (verse 15), already furnished and ready for use. So, they prepared for the Passover celebration feast:

“The disciples then went off, entered the city, and found it just as he had told them; and they prepared the Passover.” (Mark 14:16)

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Jesus chose the time of Passover to fulfill what He had announced earlier at Capernaum – – giving His disciples “the LIVING bread”, His body and His blood:

“I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give IS my flesh for the life of the world.” The Jews quarreled among themselves, saying, ‘How can this man give us [his] flesh to eat?’ Jesus said to them, ‘Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks MY blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For MY flesh IS true food, and MY blood IS true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks MY blood remains in me and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died, whoever eats this bread will live forever.’” (John 6:51-58).

Jesus’ passing over to His Father by His death and resurrection – – the “new” Passover – – is anticipated in the “Last Supper” and celebrated in the Eucharist or “Lord’s Supper”, fulfilling the “Jewish Passover” and anticipating the “final Passover” of the church in the glory of God’s kingdom. (Say this sentence three times fast.) The “old” LIVES in the “new”, and the “new” FULFILLS the “old”.

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Mark seems to have purposely omitted many elements found in the Jewish Passover meal. Instead he describes only those elements he believed to be most essential to revealing the true essence of the Christian Eucharist: Jesus taking the bread, blessing the bread, breaking the bread, and sharing the bread with His disciples. This bread He now shares IS transubstantiated*** into Jesus’ own body. Comparable words and actions follow as Jesus shares the chalice (cup) with His disciples. Those who drink from the chalice are invited to share in a “NEW” covenant, sealed by Jesus’ own blood. Mark, through the Eucharist, looks forward to the Kingdom of God which Jesus inaugurates at the “Last Supper” celebration.

*** “Transubstantiate” is an intransitive verb in Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox doctrine meaning to undergo a change in substance from bread and wine to the body and blood of Jesus Christ during Communion

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We now skip forward to the actual Passover Celebration – – the “Last Supper”. This Gospel reading shows the clear-cut and specific time Jesus instituted the “Sacrament of the Eucharist”:

“He [Jesus] took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them, and said, ‘Take it; this IS my body.’ Then He took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, and they all drank from it. He said to them, ‘This is MY blood of the covenant, which will be shed for many’” (Mark 14: 22-24).

Paul, in his first letter to the Corinthians, shows that Jesus’ words continued to live on in the celebration of the ”Mass”, and still continues to this day:

“For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus, on the night He was handed over, took bread, and, after He had given thanks, broke it and said, ‘This IS my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, ‘This cup IS the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.’” (1 Corinthians 11:23–25).

The actions and words of Jesus expressed within the framework of the Passover meal conveys God’s “chosen” people towards a “NEW” covenant through Jesus’ selfless sacrifice of Himself. How?; through the offering of His body and blood in anticipation of His passion and death just a few short hours later. His “blood of the covenant” alludes to the Old Covenant story of the Exodus:

“Moses then wrote down all the words of the LORD and, rising early in the morning, he built at the foot of the mountain an altar and twelve sacred stones for the twelve tribes of Israel. Then, having sent young men of the Israelites to offer burnt offerings and sacrifice young bulls as communion offerings to the LORD, Moses took half of the blood and put it in large bowls; the other half he splashed on the altar. Taking the book of the covenant, he read it aloud to the people, who answered, ‘All that the LORD has said, we will hear and do.’ Then he took the blood and splashed it on the people, saying, ‘This is the blood of the covenant which the LORD has made with you according to all these words.’” (Exodus 24:4–8).

Jesus, through His actions and words is signifying the NEW community that His sacrifice will bring into being on earth and in heaven. His “blood” is the “seat of life”, and when placed on the altar (transubstantiated), “makes atonement”:

“Since the life of a living body is in its blood, I have made you put it on the altar, so that atonement may thereby be made for your own lives, because it is the blood, as the seat of life, that makes atonement.” (Leviticus 17:11).

Jesus’ blood “will be shed for many” (verse 24) is a participle denoting an event “future” to the “Last Supper”. Jesus knew His Father’s will and plan, and He was willing to surrender Himself for the salvation and redemption of His flock.

The word “many” (verse 24) in today’s reading does not mean some are excluded. Instead, the word “many” in this case is a “Semitism” (a custom, tradition, and characteristic of Semitic people – primarily Jewish and Arab peoples) designating the combined group who will share and benefit from the service of the “ONE”!! Thus, “many” in this particular instance is equivalent to “ALL”. Wait, how can “many” mean “all”?! The meaning, significance, and substance of both words can be vicarious to interpret into present day English; in Hellenistic Greek, it is difficult to distinguish between the two words. Many words in the Greek Bible do not translate well into our present day English easily.

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Jesus begins verse 25 with a word never before used as the opening word of a sentence – – until Jesus did (and did many times) – – “AMEN”:

“Amen, I say to you, I shall not drink again the fruit of the vine until the day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God” (Mark 14:25).

You see, any time the word “Amen” started a sentence in Holy Scripture, it was ALWAYS said by Jesus Himself. These initial or beginning “Amen’s” are truly unparalleled, otherwise unknown, in Hebrew literature. “Amen” at the beginning of a sentence does not refer to the words of a previous speaker. Instead, Jesus deliberately used this particular word in introducing a new thought, a new way for gaining entrance to God’s kingdom. He is deliberately indicating that whatever He says next is true, and will occur. AWESOMELY WOW!!

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Today’s reading from Mark concludes with Jesus and His disciples “singing a hymn” before leaving for the “Mount of Olives”:

“Then, after singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.” (Mark 14:26)

My understanding is that it was a custom to sing a “hymn of thanksgiving” at the conclusion of the Passover meal. Bible footnotes point to five specific “hymns” or “Psalms”: Psalms 114–118. Psalm 114 is a hymn celebrating Israel’s escape from Egypt, journey through the wilderness, and entry into the promised land; and the miracles of nature that bore witness to God’s presence in their midst. Psalm 115 is a hymn to the glory of Israel’s God. Psalm 116 is a thanksgiving hymn responding to the Jewish people’s divine rescue from mortal danger and near despair. Psalm 117, being the shortest hymn, calls on the nations to acknowledge God’s supremacy. Finally, Psalm 118 is a thanksgiving hymn usually used in a procession into the Temple boundaries.

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In summary, the Gospel for today reminds us to the awesome fact that the Eucharist is a memorial of Jesus Christ’s sacrifice on the Holy Cross – – for US!! We, as pious and faithful Catholics, truly and fully believe that Jesus Christ IS truly and fully present in the elements (aka, “accidents”) of bread and wine, transubstantiated into His glorified and perfect body and blood. Each time we celebrate this precious Sacrament of the Catholic Church, we are preparing for God’s Kingdom. The Second Vatican Council has taught us that this celebration IS THE SOURCE AND SUMMIT of the Catholic Christian’s life.

The supernatural food of the Holy Eucharist is healing for both body and soul, and gives strength for our personal journey towards heaven. The Holy Eucharist offers healing, pardon, comfort, and rest for your soul. The principal fruit of receiving the Eucharist IS an intimate union with Christ Himself. I firmly believe, when consuming His precious body and blood, we are perfected (oh, so temporarily), and experience a true heaven on earth, united with Christ completely and fully!! Now that is truly AWESOME indeed!!

When the Lord Jesus commands His disciples (including us) to eat His flesh and drink His blood, He invites us to take His life into the very center of our being:

“Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you” (John 6:53).

The life which Jesus offers is the very life of God Himself. Jesus’ death on the cross, His gift to us of His body and blood – – in the Eucharist, and His promise to eat and drink again with His disciples when the kingdom of God comes – – in all its fullness – – are inseparably connected.

Jesus instructed His disciples to “do this in remembrance of me”. These words establish every “Lord’s Supper” or Eucharist as a “remembrance” of Jesus’ atoning death, His resurrection, and His promise to return again:

“For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes” (1 Corinthians 11:26).

Within hours of Jesus’ “Last Supper” and the institution of the “Sacrament of the Eucharist”, He is put to death. Yet, what a joyful result came from such a gruesome death as Jesus experience! We gained an inheritance; an inheritance of “union” with a truly loving and living God. And, there seems to be a further secret in all of this as well (my dear Watson). The secret is that God’s inheritance for us is more immediate and present than we could ever dream. Yet, we often forsake God’s gift to us – – Himself – – as only a “consolation prize” of solace and comfort for when we die, not while we are living.

Guess what?! We can experience our inheritance, our communion with God – – and ALL His creation – – again and again during this life. We experience our inheritance in a central way through, with, and in, the Eucharist. The Blessed Sacrament is a celebration and thanksgiving of Christ’s self-offering and the covenant between the human and the divine life. A “Sacrament” effects what it signifies: the Eucharist, at the same time, effects and signifies a communion (a co-union). It effects and signifies our participation in Jesus Christ’s death-conquering activity to bring about an everlastingly and joyful life. WOW!!! The Eucharist itself moves us to becoming a “sacrament” (little “s”) as well – – showing Christ’s presence and power in the world. Watson, that’s a TRIPLE WOW for us to celebrate!!

Our celebration of the Lord’s Supper joyfully anticipates the final day when the Lord Jesus will feast anew with His disciples in His promised heavenly feast.

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In conclusion, Think about some of the things that are required to prepare for a family/friend holiday meal: choosing the menu, preparing the shopping list, and assigning duties for cooking, setting the table, preparing decorations, leading the prayers, and cleaning up during and afterwards. (Wow!! A lot to do for sure.)

Did you notice how Jesus instructed His disciples to prepare for their Passover meal in this reading? (Answer: by having a trust in Him.) As ALL meals require some kind of planning and preparation, so too does our Sunday (and weekday) Eucharistic celebrations requires planning. So, what might you do to better prepare for our celebration of the Eucharist? Examples should include prayer, reading the scriptures of the mass PRIOR to mass, being attentive, and participating in mass. Choose one or more ideas and begin to implement them in your life. Pray for God’s help in making your celebration of the Eucharist the highlight of your week – – AS IT SHOULD BE ALWAYS!!

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Reflection Prayer:

“Behold the Lamb of God”

“the Agnus Dei”

“Behold the Lamb of God,
behold Him who takes
away the sins of the world.
Blessed are those called
to the supper of the Lamb. Amen”

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Catholic Apologetics:

My reason and purpose for this section on my blog is to provide “scriptural confirmation” for our beliefs and doctrines, not to cause dissention or opposition with my fellow believers in Jesus Christ, yet not in union with the Roman Catholic Church. Whether God speaks to us through the “Bible”, or through “Tradition”, it is the Holy Spirit that inspires the “Word” from which all authentic tradition flows.

Tradition can be separated into two aspects: oral and behavioral. Oral tradition includes written forms. After all, it ALL started with oral tradition. Behavioral tradition includes Baptism, Eucharist or Lord’s Supper, Lying on of hands or healing, Intercessory prayer, and Ordination.

All Scriptural verses are taken from both the Revised Standard Version: Catholic Edition of the Holy Bible and the King James Version of the Holy Bible.

Faith and Works

“What does it profit, my brethren, if a man says he has faith but has not works? Can his faith save him?” (James 2:14) RSV.

“What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? Can faith save him?” (James 2:14) KJV.

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“So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead” (James 2:17)RSV.

“Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone” (James 2:17) KJV.

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A Franciscan’s Saint of the Day: St. Margaret of Scotland

St. Margaret was Queen of Scotland’s father, Edward Atheling, was the Saxon heir to the throne of England, and her mother was a German princess, the descendant of Emperors. Like the strong woman of the Gospel, the practice of Catholic virtues made her still more illustrious. After the Norman Conquest, many members of the English nobility, including Margaret, found refuge in the court of Malcolm III of Scotland. In 1070 Malcolm married Margaret and made her Queen of Scotland.

Margaret impressed the Scottish court both with her knowledge of continental customs and also with her piety. For the love of God she imposed upon herself severe mortifications, leaving aside the superfluous and often even the necessary. She influenced her husband and son to govern better and introduced Catholic customs, manners and ceremony to the Scottish court. She raised her sons in great piety and one, David, was later canonized. Above all she excelled in her zealous charity for her neighbor. She was called “the mother of orphans” and “the bursar for the poor of Jesus Christ.”

In 1093, after six months of great physical suffering, she delivered her soul to God in Edinburgh. The sanctity of her life and the numerous miracles she worked both in her life and after her death made her famous worldwide.

In 1673 Pope Clement X named her the patroness of Scotland, over which she had reigned for almost a quarter century.

Secular Franciscan Order (OFS) Rule
Article #’s 10 & 11 of 26:

10. United themselves to the redemptive obedience of Jesus, who placed His will into the Father’s hands, let them faithfully fulfill the duties proper to their various circumstances of life. Let them also follow the poor and crucified Christ, witness to Him even in difficulties and persecutions.

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11. Trusting the Father, Christ chose for Himself and His mother a poor and humble life, even though He valued created things attentively and lovingly. Let the Secular Franciscans seek a proper spirit of detachment from temporal goods by simplifying their own material needs. Let them be mindful that according to the gospel they are stewards of the goods received for the benefit of God’s children.

Thus, in the spirit of the Beatitudes, and as pilgrims and strangers on their way to the home of the Father, they should strive to purify their hearts from every tendency and yearning for possession and power.